Accepting Hajj expenses as a gift

18/10/2009| IslamWeb

Question: I am currently pursuing graduate studies in the USA. I have requested my brother in Qatar to make the necessary arrangement for my Hajj trip this year. It is my intention to pay him the trip cost prior to my Hajj. He refuses to take the money from me and wishes to pay for my Hajj as his gift to me. Will my Hajj be accepted?

Fatwa: All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad , is His slave and Messenger.

If your brother pays the expenses of your Hajj on your behalf then your Hajj is correct and valid, whether it is an obligatory or supererogatory Hajj. Performing Hajj only using one's own money is not a condition for the validity of Hajj.

However, spending one's own money to perform Hajj is preferable and greater in reward. The important condition is that Hajj should be performed only with Halal money.

Allah Knows best.